Although I’ve always known that hot cross buns are a special Good Friday/Easter treat, I’d never eaten or made any until this week.  Having heard be talk about it, Gerald was sweet enough to buy me one from a local chain bakery…I love this bakery but, the bun was awful!  I thought, ‘with all the tradition of the hot cross bun, it should be the best thing ever!’  After all, it’s all about the crucifixion and resurrection of my Lord and Savior!  Again, they should be the best things ever!

With this in mind, I decided to make some for today…Good Friday.  I used my recipe for cream cheese cinnamon rolls for the dough and filled it with cream cheese, butter, cinnamon, sugar, orange zest, and raisins. After baking, they were crossed with cream cheese buttercream icing.  YUMMY!

With this week being Spring Break, Passover, Easter, husband’s vacation, and Zoe’s ‘big girl’ surgery, my week has been crazy busy!  I saved some of my highlights to post today…

I found this incredibly pretty but plain toddler dress for a young cousin.  It even has a tiny replica dress for a doll!

Since it’s Easter, I got her a bunny and dressed them all up with pretty silk flowers.

What do candy, nail polish, wire basket, tulle and cello bags have in common?

An Easter basket for a 15 year old!

The recipe and directions for my hot cross buns are on the next page.

After making the dough and letting it rise to double, roll it out on a large floured baking sheet.

Spread dough with a mixture of butter and cream cheese.

Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar mixture, orange zest, and plumped up raisins.

Fold dough in thirds…like a letter for an envelope. Then fold in half and roll out, repeat 2 more times. It will get a little messy.

Your dough will end up beautifully layered and studded with plump, juicy raisins…just divide into 16 equal pieces and place in a buttered 13 x 9 inch baking pan…allow to rise to double and bake.

Hot Cross Buns
Makes 16

Dough:
2 packets of yeast (1/4 ounce each)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted (plus more for rolling)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened

Filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup boiling water

Egg Wash:
1 egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons of half & half or milk

Icing:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, add 1 tablespoon sugar, yeast, and warm water.  Stir to dissolve and set aside for 10 minutes.  Mixture will be foamy and puffed up.  Add sugars, milk, eggs, and vanilla, and beat until well mixed.  Add 3 cups of flour and salt and beat on medium speed for 3-4 minutes.  Add butter and continue beating until no traces of the butter remain, increase mixer speed to high and knead for 5 minutes.

Flour surface with remaining 1/2 cup of flour.  Turn out dough onto flour and knead until flour has been absorbed by dough.  The dough will be soft and a little sticky.  Allow dough to rest for 5 minutes.  Place dough in a large greased bowl(I washed my mixing bowl while the dough was resting and greased it) and cover with a towel or plastic wrap.  Place in a warm area for 1 1/2 hours until dough has doubled.  I placed my dough in a cold oven, heated to warm(170 degrees) for 10 minutes, turned off heat and allowed the dough to remain undisturbed for 1 hour 20 minutes.

While waiting for the dough to rise, I made the filling. Place raisins in a bowl and cover with boiling water, set aside and allow to cool to room temperature and then drain.  In a separate bowl, mix cinnamon, sugars and vanilla.

When dough has doubled, turn out onto a floured surface.  Sprinkle top as well and roll dough out to 10 x 10, carefully and evenly spread with 4 ounces of softened cream cheese and 1 stick of softened butter.  Once rolled out, carefully spread with 1 stick of softened butter.  Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar mixture, followed by orange zest and raisins.  Fold dough over itself into thirds(like you’re folding a letter), then fold in half and roll back out to 10 x 10.  Repeat this process twice, some of the filling will break through and get a little messy.  Dust any tacky areas with flour.  Shape into a mound and divide into 16 equal pieces.  Place pieces in a buttered 13 x 9 inch pan and allow to rise to double.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  After dough rises, brush with egg wash and bake for 20 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before piping with icing

While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the icing. In a medium bowl, mix remaining 4 ounces of softened cream cheese and 4 tablespoons unsalted butter until mixed well.  Beat in confectioners sugar until thick and creamy.  Add vanilla and orange zest and beat until well blended.  Us a pastry bag or make one with a ziploc bag to pipe a cross on each bun.